Railway-vehicle magnet and roadway therefor.



. A. H. FOX. RAILWAY VEHICLE MAGNET AND ROADWAY THEREEOE.

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wwe mlfofo l Lx Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

flrvll l||| APPLIOATION FILED MAR. 6, 1909.

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A. H. FOX. RAILWAY VEHICLE MAGNET AND ROADWAY THBREPOR. APPLIOATION FILED-MAR. (s. 1909.

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Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

A. H. FOX. RAILWAY VEHICLE MAGNET AND ROADWAY THEREPOR.

APPLIUATION FILED MAR. 6. 1909. v

Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

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A. H. FOX. RAILWAY VEHICLE MAGNET AND ROADWAY THBRBPOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 6, 1009.

Patented Mar. 3, 1.914.'

A. H. FOX.

RAILWAY VEHILE MAGNET AND ROADWAY THEREFOR.

APPLIOATION HLBD MAB. e, 190s.

1,088,814. Patented Mar. 3, 1914.

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AUSCPEN H. FOX, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

RAILWAY-VEHICLE MAGNET AND ROADWAY THEREFOR. i

Lassen.

Specification of Letters Patent. Continuation of application SerialNo. 423,139, tiled March 25, 1908. This Patented Mar. 3, 1914. application tiled March 6, 1BGD.

Serial No. 481,780.

To all 'io/mm it may concern l Be it known that I, Ansrnn' H. Fox, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York, in the' county ot' New' York and State ot' New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Railway- Vehicle Magnets and Roadways Therefor, ot which the 'following isa specification.

This invention relates to the class of railway controlling or signaling devices including a magnet on the car or train, coperating with the running rail or other armature substantially co-extensive with the roadway, said rail having:r magnetic interruptions or other means of magnetically ditferentiating it at control points so as to give an indication on the lar or train when 'the latter passes a control point unless said magnetic interruption or dilierentiation is bridged, etl'aced. or counteracted.

My invention involves the use of a selfrestoring magnetor detector, that is, one adapted to automatically resume its condition of influence by, or att-racted .position with respect to the armature rail after the n'iagnetic gap .or differentiation has been passed, or after it has been bridged, etlaced or counteracted, whereby I avoid the complication, added cost and other defects of prior systems requiring a separate magnet under control of the engineer for the restoration otl the detector magnet.

Further objects of my invention are: first to provide improved means for counteracting the etl'ect Qn the car magnet or detector mechanism of., gaps in the roadway armature; secondly to control the indication or -other function performed on the movable unit variably or at will by certain prearranged conditions in the roadway; thirdly to utilize the running rail itseltl together with certain novel appurtenances as a means for such variable control; tourthly to add to the functions of the magnetic detector devices and to concentrate a plurality ot these functions-in a single instrument; and fitthly to simplify and otherwise improve the con struction and operation ot' that instrument in the particulars more fully set forth in the following description. l

This appl.' ration is a continuation of my application Serial No. 423,139, filed March e5, 190s. J

Ol the accompanying draWings,.Figure 1 represents a longitudinal elevation and sec tion of a railway and car-truck embodying my improvements. F ig. 2 represents a transversesection. Fig. 3 represents a plan view. Fig. 4 represents a side elevation showing a movable section in the directing rail at a control point. Fig. 5 represents a transverse section ot' the movable rail member. Fig, t3 represents a longitudinal section showing a modified detector. Fig. T represents a transverse section thereof. Fig. 8 represents a transverse viewl of another modification including a movable controlling section upon the running rail. Fig.' t) represents a plan view ofthe roadway construction adapted forthese modified detectors. Fig. 10 represents a plan view show ing a modification consisting in the use ot' an armature rail lwith a movable magnetic section opposite a non-ina netic runningr` rail section, and a second` etector magnet controlling the circuit of the main magnet i and adapted to shunt the effect ot the re-` lease of the main magnet when itis not desired to give an indication. resents a plan view `of an arrangement; including the use of a continuous armature rail which is not one of the ruiming rails. Fig, .l2 represents a cross-section ot' this arrangement. Fig..l3 represents a transverse section showing means for differentiating sections of the roadway armature by magnet-ic repulsion.

The principle ofoperation of my system when used as a whole is that of establishing communication between the movable unit and the roadway by continuously between control points on the roadway, between an armature on the roadw-ay'and a magnet on the unit. The interruption or magnetic differentiation ot' the armature rek-ases or weakens a magnetic attraction in such manner as to give. the desired indication or performance on the unit, and thus if there is any failure or derange ment the failure is on the side of safety,and shown in the giving of the indication. If the armature consists of one of the runningl rails, the magnetic interruption (when prearranged) must not be a physical interrulr tion and hence l prefer to employ a magnetically-interrupting section composed of some such material as manganese steel. ln order to inhibit or be in a positie-n to inhibit or counteract the giving of the indication when the car or cars carrying the detector Fig, 11 rep-Y the attraction, exerted lOl i Adevices comes over ono of these non-magnetic rail sections I prefer'to place'alongside of or parallel with the running-rail section, .a by- -"passingor ccunteracting` rail which 1s, or

may be, wholly or partly adjustable so that it or its movable section may be moved within or without the influence of the car-magnet or of one of a plurality of cooperating magnets. When the movable magnetic rail sec tion is within the vinfluence of the car magnet I it maintains the roadway armature devices as a whole' magnetically intact .when the magnet passes over the non-magnetic section, and prevents the giving of the indication, but if the movable rail section is drawn away to leave a magnetic gap the magnet will cause the desired indication to be given on the movable unit. The roadway arma ture may howeverbe differentiated at con- 2o trol points otherwise than by magnetic in- 'Mms-terruptiom as for example by magnetic repulsion.

Although the detectors here shown are electr-magnets, the invention is not wholly confined to that type.

In speaking of the carl or vehicle. it will be-understood that I also include .an

articulated unit or train. v'

AReferring at irst to' Figs'. 1-5 inclusive, 20, 20 indicate the running rails, 21 the truck of a car or engine thereon, and 22 an electro-magnetic detector mounted on the truck over one of the running rails. In Fig. 3 I have shown twoof these detectors on opposite sides ofthe truck, one over each run ning-rail -so that when the vehicle is turned around end-for-end there will stillbe a detector operating over that rail which is associated with the controlling devices. In these illustrations it is assumed that the righthand running-rail is so equipped and normal trafiic is in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 3. -On a single-track road both rails will preferably be provided with controlling devices of the character hereinafter mentioned,one rail for each direction of the traffic, and suitable eliminatingdevicesprovided forcutting out the inactive side of the car when there are detectors on both sides. AThese 50k devices do not form a part of the present invention and hence are not illustrated. A

The coils of the detector magnets are here shown as included in series in a lclosed circuit 2l3with a dynamo 24 or other source of current, and each magnet controls a switch 25, in series in a circuit 125 with the source of ."current'and with a suitable device for giving the indication, which device I have represented as a lamp 26. Any suitable or well -known devices for shutting off the power, applying airfbrakes, etc., may be employed in place of or in conjunction with the 2-lamp, and'these various functions are for present purposes comprehended under the 6,0' expression, giving an indication. The

attraction of the detector magnet for the roadway armature keeps the switch 25 closed and the lamp 26 illuminated, and the release of the magnet by the interruption of the armature opens the switch and gives the signal or indication by extinguishing the lamp; but the invention is not limited to opening a normally-closed circuit by the release of the magnet, nor indeed to the actuation of any electrical device, since the opera 75 tion on the car may be wholly mechanical.

In the construction now being described the function of a car magnet in opening and closing an electric switch, and the further function of being responsive to control in places where the running rail is magnetically interrupted or differentiated, are combined in one` instrument. These functions might be performed by separate'magnetsas I shall\ hereinafter point out in connection with-Fi g. l0, but to perform them with a single magnet leads to a simpler, lio'hter and less expensive construction of the detector and also tocertain advantages in constructing the roadway.

Returning to the descriptionof Figs. 1-5, 90 27 indicates the outer casingof the detector bolted to the truck frame, and 28 indicates a magnet carrierfmov'able horizontally in a transverse direction in suitable guides withl g in said outer easing, .the lower set of guides consisting as here shown 'of ball bearings 29. v30 are the spoolspr windings of a double solenoid magnet, attached to the carrier 28 and constantly energized as previously de# scribed, and 31 are vertically-movable magnet cores connected at their upper end by a magnetic yoke 32' but having thelr,lower ends/separated longitudinally and running close enough to the magnetic running-rail 20 to be ,within the influence of the latter and normally attracted downwardly. thereby. The rail thus tends to complete the magnetic gap between the magnet poles and to keep the switch 25 closed. This attraction will be effective whenever there is an arma- 110 ture under or adjacent to the magnet and 1 capable of attracting said magnet, and hence the latter is selfrestoring,that is drawn by its own magnetism towardy the armature rail after a magnetic interruption in the latterY has been passed'or filled or counteracted. The frame 27 0r atl least its lower wall in .the vicinity of the core ends, is preferably of non-magnetic material, and vit may as shown cover overthe pole-pieces so-.that no moving parts are exposed. A

Opposed to the downward attraction of the magnetic rail 20, but of less effect than the latter, is an influence tending to move the cores 31 upwardly when there is no armature present or when a magnetic gap has been encountered, and this infiuence may be magnetic or mechanical or both. By providing enlarged iron masses 33 at the lower ends of the coresI am able to create' an upan interruption without losing Ward niagnetie force 'f the desired intensity but have also shown upwardly-actmfr springs 34 suspendingrthe core structure trom the carrier 2%.

To establish a` yielding torce normallj,Y holding the magnet carrier 28 over the running rail Q() but permitting it to more outwardly therefrom on occasion, l provide a Weighted lever connected with the carrier 28 by a gear segment 36 on the lever1 a pinion 3T on the detector casing, and a rack 38 on lthe carrier.v This mechanism is provided in duplicate for the two eillds ot the detector. Normally the weighted llever tends to hang vertically, as shown at the lett in Fig. 2, keeping the carrier 2S over the running rail, but an outwardly-acting magnetic torce ot' sufficient magnitude vtould cause. the carrier to depart laterally from its normal position and bring'j` the weighted lever into an angular position, as shown at the right in Fig. 2. -When the outward force ceases toact, the parts automatically resume their normal positions with the magnet dia rect-ly over the running rail. One ot' the afl-- vautages of thisI mechanism is that it is balsauced against transversely operating inertia 'tori-es. Itis ossible to make -various inoditications ot' tlie illustrated structure giving the combined vertical and lateral movement to the detector magnet7 and it is also with# in the scope of my invention to utilize eithe or both of these movements for the performance of functions other than or addi tional to those herein described. It is fui ther within the scope of the invention lo employ an electromagnet with the core .rigidly attached to and movable with thc winding. i

rlhe transverse movement of the detector magnet is here utilized to bring,r it, at certain control or other points along the roadway, over a magnetic rail placed alongside of or parallel to the 'running rail. .F or example this may be done when it is desired to pern'ianently avoid the effect ot' non-maggin nctic sections in the running Irail. i'VIangancse steel `sections `are commonly placed in the running rails o railways on curves, .switch points, frogs, etc., to reduce wear, and when these do not coincide with control points l may b v-pass them by a magnetic rail laid aloi'igside ofthe runningr rail and producing thev descrita-id lateral mm'ement ot the dctcctor magnet which keeps it over a map;- netic rail and maintains the detciftor switch closed A short magnetic interruption docs not require any bypassing rail because the detector magnet itself is able to bridge such its hold or effective pull, and therefore a magnetbcally continuous armature rail is to be undcrstood as one which is continuous Awith rclation to the magnet structure on the mov-4 able nnit.

"without breaking the control.

My invention includes` the use of any suitable means for mainiaininpr magnetic continuity in spite of the prcscmc ot' the non magnetic sections, and 'it includes as well the means hereinafter described, or substantial equivalents, for magnetically diftercntiatinnlsections ot' the roadwav armature structure at will.

When manganese steel sections are placed in the runninrgr rail at control points 't'or the purpose ot giving?r an indication, I .may utilize the described expedientv of a liv-pass ing or counter-acting rail but constitute it as, or provide it withj a movable member coincident with the. non-magnetic runningrail section, thc absence otivhich member 'trom the magnetic tield will cause the indi cation to be given. (,)ne form of this counteracling rail with a movable filler is shown in liigs. 2, 3, et, and 5. 39 is the bypassing rail preferably having end portions 40 which depart from and approach the running rail at an easy angle so that the magnet may be carried outward over and re turned from the by-pass at high train speeds The main rail opposite the entrance to the by-passing rail should be non-magnetic as indicated at 41.7 and for its whole extent opposite the rail Elf) it could be non-magnetic.. l4Q indicatcs a non-magnetic (manganese steel) sec-` tion in the runningr rail at the control point, and opposite this is a hinged filler or magnetic rail section 43 .in the bypassing' rail ft) under control by any suitable influence Such as a semaphore, switch lever, or other controller (not shown). This filler is nnstably mounted so that it tends to fall out- Wrrdly and create a magnetic gap, and it' the connections fail this will tend to be the result, giving a safety indication or perfoxmanceion the vehicle. The hinge -l-l is placed out ot' line with the center ot' gravity, and roclearms 45 are provided undcr control oli' the external operating connections 46 for either holding' the filler 41725 in line with the rest ot' the bly/passing rail or pcr- Inittingr it at will to -tall outwardly and create the magnetic gap. This filler might be nonanagnetically incased to Yprotect it, as will be understood Without illustration. In the operation ot' this 'l'orm ol the invention `the cores Hl ot the detector magnet 22 are normally attracted dowiuvardly by the magnetic runningr rail Q0 beca use they have a better magnetic circuit with the presence of said rail than without it. This keeps the ewitch $25 closed and the lamp QG glowing. "lhe magnet carrier QH lhcn occupies its inward position over the runnin;lr rail and the weighted lever :$5 is vertical. rlramsrerse jars do not tend to disturb this position beamse the t'orccs of inertia acting on the magnet carrier and weighted lever are brought into opposition. Assuming the vc 130 hiclc carrying the detector magnet to reach a by-passing rail S9, the attraction of the magnet for said rail will draw the carrier 28 outwardly against the force ofygravity acting on the weighted lever, the magnet cores 3l still remaining down and thc switch 25 closed. Ifthe movable iller 43 is rais/ed into line with the rest of the by-passing rail the detector magnet will pass over it without releasing the switch 25 Vand will return over the running rail at the end of the bypassing rail, but if the filler is depressed, leaving a magnetic gap, the cores 31 will be released or drawn upwardly and cause the switch 25 to open and the lamp 26 to be extinguished. The magnet is then immediately returned inwardly by the weighted lever 35 to its normal position over the running rail and as soon as it reaches a magnetic portion of said rail the cores will again be attracted downwardly and the switch closed. The indication or other performance established by the opening of the `switch may however be perpetuated by suitable means which it is not necessary to illustrate in the present application. Should the vehicle stop with its detector over a nonmagnetic section, the restoration ot the magnetic filler vwill automatically restore t-he detector to its attracted condition witliout any act on the part of the engineer.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 9 the detector 224 is made without any laterally-movable magnetcarrier but instead, the magnet cores 31a are adapted' to swing transversely in flaring cavities in the coils 30h1 to keep said cores in line with a bypassing rail, and the latter 1r ay consist merely of a movable magnetic rail section 43 mounted close alongside of the non-magnetic section 42 of the running rail as shown in Fig. 9, orit may consist of a fixed magnetic rail section 47 as shown in Fig. 7 located] ermanently alongside of any noninagnctic section of the' running rail at poi-nts `where .it i's not desired to give an indication on the car. In this form ot' the detector the members 48, 49 of the switch 25@L may have a special construction adapted for the tilting movement, the upper member 48v being's'hown as a cup whose edge Omaintains contact with the annular lower mezrber 49 during the angular movement Aof the cores, but will separate from the lower member when the cores are released. Any other suitable form of switch may be used in this or the other embodiments of myvinvention, and it is observable that by making the coil stationary and the core movable I reduce thefefe'ct of road shocks tending to give false indications. Various embodiments of this idea are possible.

Fig. 8 represents a 'modified detector adapted for the roadway construction represented in Fig. 9 and here is shown the movable by-passing rail 43a operated by a Huid cylinder 46 under external control. It will be noted that the rail or rail-section 43 is unstably pvoted on or adjacent lto the vertical web of the running .rail 20 so as to be partly protected thereby, and when released by the external connections is adaptedto swing downwardly away from said rail. The core 3l of the detector 22c has only a vertical movement, and the magnet coil 30c is or may be mounted in a fixed position on the truck with the polar axis substantially in line with the outer edgeof the running rail, so that when a by-passing rail is' reached the magnet core overlaps the position of said by-passing rail and is within the influence of either saidrail or the vmagnetic part of the running rail. The lines of force from the magnet through the rail are then somewhat warped but still effective. It

'would obviously be possible to mount a Amagnet thus positioned, or the core of such a magnet, so as to be capable of a slightseeking movement in a lateral direction in accordance with the principles already described in connection with Figs. 2 and 7, to' allow for endwise movement of the truck on the axle journals.

In Fig. l0 I have indicated a by-passing rail 39d placed between the running rails outside of the influence of the main detector magnet 22 which in thiscase would preferably have the construction represented in Fig. 8 with only the vertical movement, or something equivalent. This magnet controls the switch 25 as before and the car-magnet apparatus or structure further includesv a second detector magnet 22i permissibly of the same construction which controls a second switch 25d in a shunt circuit 50 around the switch 25. /Vhenever a by-passing rail 39d is reached, the shunting detector 22d will close its switch 25d and if the by-pa'ssing rail be continuous past the manganese steel section 42 in the running rail the circuit of the lamp 26 will be kept closed although the switch 25 opens. If 'the by-passing rail have'a movable section 43d which is drawn aside to create a magnetic gap coincident with the non-magnetic section/42, the indication will be given by theextinguishment of the lamp when the detectors come over the two magnetic gaps, since both switches 25 and 25d will then be opened. l y

Figs. 11 and 12 shew a magnetic rail 51 other than one of the running rails, longitu'dinally coextensive with theroadway, 'and los tain problems would be involved with ,which the present application docs not deal, and which are not involved, orx not involved to the same extent in using the running rail or other side rail.

Fig. ,13 shows a means for differentiating the armature rail by magnetic repulsion. Sections of avthird rail 52 are laid alongside of one of the main rails at the` signaling or controlling points and these two neighboring rails form the pole pieces of a track magnet 53 included in circuit with a battery 54 and a pole changer The detector electromagnet 22f is also represented in U form with two spools. lVhen the opposed pole pieces of the respective magnets 22" and 53 are of opposite polarity the magnet 2Q".

is attracted downward, but when the polarity of the trackl magnet 53 is reversed by means of the pole changer the detector magnet is repelled upward.

i Variousyother modificationsl and adaptations may be made without departing from the invention,I and its principles apply to so-called mono-rail roads. The forms of detectors and the forms of roadway armature devices herein .described are especially adapted for conjoint use, but, as already instanced, the invention isv not to be understood as being wholly confined to such conjoint use. i

l. The combination `of a railway having an armature substantially coextensive therewith, a vehicle on said railway carrying a magnetic detector which cooperates with said armature, said detector responding to magnetic gaps or differentiations in the armature and adapted to restore itself to nor-` mal condition by its attraction for the latter when said gap or diiierentiation is passed, eii'aced or counteracted, and indicating means on the vehicle controlled by said detector and adapted to respond to the latter-s condition of attraction or release.

2. The combination of a railway having a magnetifrunning rail, non-magnetic sections interposed in said rail at intervals, and a vehicle carrying a self-restoring magnet which coperates with said rail and is adapted to respond tothe magnetic interruptions caused by said non-magnetic sections.

3, The combination of a railway having a -magnetici running rail in which are interposed fion-magnetic sections, a vehicle, a magnetic detector mounted on said vehicle and movable from a retracted position by its own attraction toward the magnetic part of said running rail, and means on the vehicle for indicating-the response of said detector Vto the magnetic and non-magnetic sections of said rail.

et. In a railway control system, the combination of a railway vehicle unit having a magnet device adapted to be drawn from a l retracted position' by its own attraction toward a roadway armature, a roadway armature` structure magnetically continuous between control points, and means for magnetically differentiating sections of said armature structure at will at said points.

5. In a railway control system, the combinatioh of a roadway having an armature rail longitudinally coexlensivc with said roadway and magnetically interrupted at a control point, a movable magnetic section adapted to magnetically bridge or by-pass the interruption, a vehicle unit having a selfrestoringmagnet which coperates with said rail, and means on the unit controlled by said magnet and 4adapted to respond to the latters condition of attraction or release.

G. A railway having a magnetic running rail interrupted by a non-magnetic section, and a magnetic by-passing rail adjacent to said non-magnetic section and having an adjustable magnetic filler. y

7. A railway having a magnetic running rail interrupted by a non-magnetic section, and a magnetic ley-passing rail laid alongside of said` non-magnetic section and having end portions departing from and approaching the running rail at easy-angles.

8. A railway' having a nnignetic running rail interrupted by a non-magnetic section` a magnetic ley-passing rail laid alongside of said non-magnetic section and having end portions departing :from and approaching the ruiming rail at easy angles, and an intermediatc magnetic portion movable into and out of the line oi' said by-l'iassing rail.

9. A railway having a longitudinal armature rail provided with a filler pivoted to move transversely of the line oi the rail into a raised position of alinement with the body of the rail or into a depressed position of disalinemcnt.

' l0. A railway having a magnetic running rail interrupted by a non-magnetic section, an armaturemember unstably pivoted close to the vertical web of" said non-magnetic section and adapted to swing from its operative position downwardly away from said section, and external operating connections for supporting said member in its raised operative position.

l1. Thecombination of a railway having a magnetically-inlerrupted running rail, a magnetic rail for luy-passing the interruption in said running-rail, and a vehicle carrying a detector-magnet member which is movable transversely of the vehicle to cooperate with either of said rails and adapted by its release to give an indication on the vehicle.

1Q. The combination of a railway having a magnetically-interrupted running rail, a magnetic rail for by-passing the interruption `in said running rail, a vehicle, and a detector-magnet member on said vehicle control an indication on the vehicle.

13. The combination of a railway vehicle.A a detector-magnet member, thereon having a combined lateral and up'aud-down movement, and a roadway havin an armature cooperating wit-h said mem er.

14. The combination of a railway having an armature, a vehicle, and an electromagnetic detector on said vehicle having a coil and a core movable in said coil and adapted to be inluenced by the armatme.

The combination ot' a railway having a longitudinal armaturenail, a railway-vehicle, and an electromagnetiel detector on said vehicle having a pair of coils whose axial plane is parallel to the rail, and a pair ot cores movable longitudinally in said coils and adapted to have their magnetic circuit affected oy the rail.

16. The combination of a railway vehicle,

and an electromagnetic detector mounted onv the lower part of said vehicle in position to cooperate with a roadway armature, said detector having a vertical coil, a corc movable vertically msaid coil in response to the presence or absence of the armature, and means to give an indication on the vehicle by the upward movement of the core.

. 17. The combination oi a railway having Lema-8.14

an armature, a; railway-vehicle, and an elec- -tromagnetic detector mounted on the lower part of said vehicle in position to`coperate with said armature, said detector having a coil, and a core mounted to move longitudinally and to swing in said coil in response to the presence or absence of the armature.

18. The combination of a railway having an armature, a railway-vehicle, and an electromagnetic detector thereon having a pair of coils. a pair of cores movable both longitudinally and laterally in. said coils, their pole-pieces subject to said armature, and an electric switch held closed during the lateral movement but opened by longitudinal retraction of the cores.

19. The combination of a railway-vehicle, and an electromagnetic detector thereon having a pair of normally-energized coils,A and a pair of yoked cores adapted to be pro-4 jected longitudinally vin said coils by the yai;- traction of an external armature and provided with enlarged pole-pieces for yleld ingly reti-acting the cores by magnetic force;

Intestimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing4 witnesses. this fourth day of March 1909.

A\USTEN H. FOX'.

Witnesses EDWARD E. Bmcui, R.' M. Pierson. 

